Fox puts more pressure on PM
NORTH Somerset MP Liam Fox has ramped up the pressure on the Prime Minister by calling for cuts in the UK's contribution to the EU.
The former Defence Secretary said it would be "obscene" to hand more money to Brussels while so many Britons were out of work.
David Cameron is facing a fresh mutiny after Tory backbenchers and Labour demanded a real-terms cut in the budget, which will be set in the coming weeks.
The European Commission wants to hike contributions by five per cent over the next seven years. Mr Cameron, who has the power to veto the budget, wants to see contributions rise with inflation, around two per cent.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Sunday, May 26 2013
But many Tories want the budget frozen in real terms or slashed, while Labour has joined their calls, leading to a crunch Commons vote this week.
Dr Fox has become a key figure on the Right of the Conservative Party since leaving the Cabinet a year ago.
He said: "In a continent where a generation of young people are unemployed as a result of the ever-closer EU ideology, the idea that you would even increase for inflation the inflated wages of the Eurocrats is obscene."
MPs will debate the government's negotiating strategy at the forthcoming EU summit. Tory MPs Mark Reckless and Mark Pritchard have tabled an amendment insisting any budget rises be below inflation, which could lead to a defeat for Mr Cameron.
Comments
by PortisheadAH1
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 2:57PM
“This report states "Dr Fox has become a key figure on the Right of the Conservative Party since leaving the Cabinet a year ago".
Note to Post: Can you evidence this statement please? It is clear this paper supports Liam Fox's climb back up the ladder but 'key figure' is perhaps a bit premature.”
by Trymriverman
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 9:38AM
“I don't think anybody is taken in by this posturing, which is really more about trying to revive a moribund career through pandering to superficial popularism - superficial because I don't believe euro-scepticism would ever really survive a referendum on EU membership (too much is at stake). The high level of youth unemployment on the continent and elsewhere is caused much more by the global financial crisis than just an imbalance caused by the Euro - though there are undoubtedly fundamental problems with the Euro which need to be fixed through international co-operation and it's with this international co-operation where the EU sceptic attitude is so damaging. I'm sure also that Dr Fox would support the spending of even greater amounts of money on say something like renewing Trident, for example, which many would argue was a waste of money of an even greater dimension. The rise of the 'Golden Dawn' party in Greece points the way for a fragmented Europe of belligerent nationalist countries - we've been there before and Europe ended in ruins. I'd much rather go the route of international co-operation with our partners in the EU and friends further afield to work through the various current crises in the world, than try to cut of our nose to spite our face, so to speak, for the short term political gain of a dead-end political faction.”
by geoffone1
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 9:22AM
“How exactly is Liam Fox STILL an MP after his sleazy shenanigans involving his "relationship" with Adam Werrity?”